Unlicensed driver charged in hit-and-run death of Blaine owner of pilates and yoga studio

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Oct. 28—An unlicensed hit-and-run driver who authorities say struck and killed a Blaine woman walking her dog Monday afternoon told police he didn't stop because he thought he had hit a dog or sign, according to the criminal complaint filed Wednesday.

John Robert Jones, 31, of Blaine was charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide and leaving the scene.

The following details about the 12:30 p.m. crash were outlined in the complaint:

Witnesses said a man was driving a white Chrysler 300 sedan erratically along Northeast 109th Avenue near Northeast Flanders Court just before he struck Bridget Dunn, 56, of Blaine. He pulled over about 100 yards later and then took off again, fleeing westbound on 109th. Dunn's dog was unharmed.

Less than an hour later, using the license plate number and other officials records, police went to Jones' nearby home.

There they spoke with the man's girlfriend, who said Jones had been driving the vehicle earlier. The vehicle was found in the attached garage. It had its hood up and the driver's side propped up on a jack. The vehicle was leaking fluids. It was missing the driver's side door mirror, and the driver's side headlight was broken. In addition, the front bumper was broken and the front fender was pushed so far back the driver's door could not be used.

The girlfriend told police that when James came home, he said that he had struck a dog or a sign and asked her not to tell anyone.

When authorities spoke with Jones, he said he didn't have a valid driver's license. He also told investigators that he had taken the Chrysler on an errand earlier that day and struck a sign or dog while driving on 109th. He said he didn't stop to check what he had hit but decided to skip the errand and took the car home to his garage to inspect the damage.

Jones remained in the Anoka County jail on Wednesday.

Posts on social media said Dunn was the founder and owner of a pilates and yoga studio in Blaine.

According to the business's website, Dunn had 16 years of experience teaching yoga, pilates and MELT and was also trained in neuromuscular rehabilitation for people suffering from Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and the effects of strokes. She also trained others to become yoga and pilates instructors.

Before moving to Minnesota, Dunn lived around the U.S. and in Latin America and Asia while she worked in the international business field. Then she moved to Minnesota to work for the Aveda Corp. for 15 years and took her first yoga class through a program the Minneapolis company offered its employees.

"It changed her life," the website says. "Yoga allowed her to find balance and less stress in a very busy, chaotic work environment. Eventually, she left the business world altogether to teach yoga."

The site goes on to say that Dunn has "loved watching people grow in their practices and seeing how Yoga and Pilates can change people's lives, empowering them to live stronger, healthier, more balanced lives. Bridget's core value is compassion."